vik sahay

Near the start of the 'Chuck' panel at Comic-Con, we learned that Mark Hamill will be guesting on the show, and the hourlong session ended in tears -- but they were the good kind.

Star Zachary Levi got choked up on stage as he recalled the show's first Comic-Con panel and as he talked about all that fans had done to keep the show alive for five seasons.

"This show would not have been here without you guys," he said, before his emotions overcame him and he stopped talking. Fans took up the slack by cheering and clapping.

The panel began with a video of Jeffster playing 'Eye of the Tiger' as Gomez did a 'Rocky'-style workout. Morgan is the new Intersect, after all, and as Ryan McPartlin said in the video, the former Buy More nerd has to be "ripped" for the new season.

'Chuck' co-creator Chris Fedak and cast members Joshua Gomez, Ryan McPartlin, Vik Sahay and Scott Krinsky came to Chicago over the weekend for the C2E2 convention, where yours truly had the pleasure of hosting a 'Chuck' panel on Saturday (after buying a 'Doctor Who' T-shirt, obviously).

Many 'Chuck' adventures past and present were discussed, but one topic in particular caught my attention: Chuck Bartowski's bachelor party, which will be depicted in the 22nd episode of the season.

"Just like any good 'Chuck' episode, you think you're going one place, but there are little detours" for those attending the bachelor bash, McPartlin said in the press room after the 'Chuck' panel.

What's below is a list of of topics that came up at the 'Chuck' panel and in the press room afterward. I've actually divided the intel into two different bullet-point lists: One has spoilers and one doesn't. Enjoy!

Happy pre-Thanksgiving! Before you dive into the feast and football, dig in for some Chuck talk first. Vik Sahay, who plays Lester Patel on the NBC geek hit, joins me, Jason Hughes and Kona Gallagher to talk about the show's new season, which starts on January 10. Here's a hint about the season: Jeffster is mentioned a few times during the interview.

Before and after the interview, the three of us talk about:

Why Mondays, especially at 8, is such a brutal timeslot,

Oprah's "retirement" and if she'll ever have that same kind of platform again,

On Tuesday, we're going to be recording our weekly podcast. In honor of the return of NBC's Chuck on January 10, we're going to have Vik Sahay, who plays Buy More cog Lester Patel, on board to talk about the show's return and what fans can expect.

Last season ended with a bang, as most fans already know. Not to spoil anything, but the finale ended with Chuck saying the famous line from The Matrix, "I know kung fu." And, boy, does he ever. Sahay will be able to give us some insight into what's in store for the Buy More crew now that Chuck is going in a new and even more adventurous direction.

Have questions about for Vik about Chuck or anything else? Leave them in the comments and we'll relay them to Sahay during the podcast. We'll even give you credit for any question we use. So, ask away below. Any question we get in before we record the podcast tomorrow (time TBD right now) will be eligible.